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Yu-Gi-Oh The Abridged Series
Overview As the name suggests, Yu-Gi-Oh: The Abridged Series is a dramatically shortened down version of the original series, cutting each episode down from its original twenty minutes. This includes episodes in two or more parts. All characters in the series are voiced by LittleKuriboh, even the female ones, adding to the comical effect of the parody. A notable exception of this are the characters of Rebecca Hawkins in the regular series and Gary Stu in the Other Abridged Movie, which are voiced by LittleKuriboh's wife, Abigail, mostly referred to by her screen-name Safty. The series is focused on making fun of the eccentricities of the series, most prominently the fact that Duel Monsters is a children's card game, yet is played by teens and adults with unfaltering seriousness and unreal consequences. This leads to frequent commentaries about the role of the game in the series and the plot of such. It also lampoons the changes made to the series in the English dub, and greatly exaggerates the characters' personalities from that version, to comic effect. There are also jokes that break the "fourth wall". The series is also known for playing different songs to suit the mood of certain situations. Beginning with the fifth episode, the series would open with a snippet of "Kawaita Sakebi" (the theme song from the first series anime). There have been a few exceptions, however: *Episode 10, which plays the "Cruel Angel's Thesis", the opening theme from Evangelion. *Episode 13, where it played the chorus of "YMCA". *Episode 18, where it played the end of "Wollt ihr das Bett in Flammen sehen" By German NDH band Rammstein. *Episode 30, where it played a parody of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme, titled "The Phresh Pharaoh of Bel-Air". *Episode 34, where the regular sequence is sung a capella. *Episode 37, where it played a part of Ave Satani, with altered lyrics. All episodes would end with a scene from the anime juxtaposed with audio from another source. For example, the end of episode 2 featured Téa and Marik as Lois Lane and Lex Luthor in a scene from the Superman Returns trailer. Warning: Plot Endings and/or Spoilers Below Description Yu-Gi-Oh! the Abridged series was the first abridged series created. It was started by LittleKuriboh. Series Humor The humor of the series has constantly varied and expanded from its original premise. Rather than just making fun at the original series, other elements have been added throughout time to the parody. Duel Monsters as a "Children's Card Game" As mentioned before, the series has always poked fun at the fact that, despite being just a trading card game focused for children, the anime features teenagers and adults playing it with great seriousness (Kaiba threatens suicide at one time over a game if he is not allowed to win it). The duels and the game itself are referred to almost exclusively in the series as a "children's card game" or simply "card games". Ironically, characters usually call on the use of Duel Monsters to solve their problems (saving kidnapped people, saving the world, etc.) or prove their maturity. This is commonly twisted into obsession, and characters are normally portrayed as irresponsible at any other aspect of their life. It also pokes much fun at the fact that the duels in the first season have many deviations from the rulings in the real-life version of the card game. Characters usually claim that it is either because of the writing staff of the show, or because the rules of the game are too complicated or confusing (in Episode 26, it is shown that not even the most advanced computers can figure them out). When Season Two began with the Battle City Tournaments, Kaiba ruled that all duels from then on should follow the official rules of the game, much to their dismay. Kaiba also decided that to finally defeat his arch rival, he must do something no other duelist survived if they dared to attempt it: actually learn how to play Duel Monsters. The 4Kids Dub LittleKuriboh based much of the initial humor of the series on the censored dub by 4Kids of the original anime. This included references to the cuts made on several scenes of Season One, and even jokes were built around them. An example includes henchmen from Pegasus pointing their fingers at characters and saying "Don't move a muscle or we'll shoot you with our invisible guns!". This is because 4Kids edited all sorts of guns out of the original anime yet somehow they never edited the hands that held those guns thus making it look like they're still holding them. Often, when faced with a controversial theme (death, sexuality, transvestites, etc.) the characters argue that 4Kids would just censor such things from the show. The Abridged Series also parodies several dialogues that appear on the English dub. When the series began, many lines were paraphrased or quoted wholesale from the 4Kids version, such as "Draw your last pathetic card" and "Exodia, Obliterate!" from the first episode. This is still done from time to time, including such phrases as "Check his pulse, Yugi!", "You don't stand a ghost of a chance!" and "What a digital dummy!", which are repeated all around the series. Another enduring theme are the awkward voices done for the characters in the English dub. Many of the characters in the abridged series thus have either exaggerated versions of those voices or completely different ones. Such is the case of Tristan's voice, being very similar to Barney the Dinosaur. Also, Tristan's voice abruptly changes during Episode 8, as most characters notice. This is a reference to the voice of Tristan changing in the 4Kids dub around that time. At frequent times, the series addresses the vilification of 4Kids by many anime fans, though in the Abridged series, Yugi revives Tristan from the graveyard with his old voice in his duel with Bakura. Fourth Wall Another running gag within the series is the many of the characters frequently break the "fourth wall". They frequently talk about cameos, screen time and the plot. This is done in such a way that characters seem to know that they are in a series, providing extra jokes about it and meta humor. For example, characters normally fight for screen time in the series, and this seems to be the only reason villains like Bakura and Marik chase Yugi, rather than for his Millennium Puzzle or rare cards. For those people who don't know, the fourth wall is a phrase used to describe the invisible barrier seperating the characters and the audience. Sexuality Still another prevalent theme is that the sexuality of the various male characters is intentionally portrayed as ambiguous. The most obvious example is Joey – while he is perhaps the most adamant in his fixation on Mai's breasts, at least early on in the series, shortly after his defeat by Seto Kaiba he begins to have "very erotic dreams" in which he is Kaiba's "dog", complete with dog suit, and, as time goes on, becomes very jealous at the mere thought that Yugi, too, might be having "dream-sex" with his "master". Although Mai does mention immediately afterward, "Oh please, who hasn't had dream-sex with Kaiba?" Similarly, Episode 7 features a humorous (non-canon) phone conversation in which Joey tells Tristan that he loves him. Even Bakura, despite his protests that he is not gay (just British), openly "gropes" Yugi and later says very decidedly that he has no desire to sleep with a girl. These and other jokes may be references to the large amounts of Yaoi and Shonen-Ai fanart and doujinshi made by the series' notorious fangirl following, which are also continually referenced. Additionally, in "Episode 21: Massively Multiplayer Online Children's Card Game", Joey calls Tristan "darling" in which Tristan responds with "ix-nay on the arling-day." In the abridged movie, when Yugi is being mobbed by duelists, Tea claims she will take Yugi to a safe bedroom, then changes her response to "hiding place." When Yugi asks if she's taking him to the carnival, she responds with "Ooh, it'll be a CARNIVAL all right." Several more sexual jokes involving Tea are in the abridged movie, one of which is Tea asking Yugi's grandpa if he wants to make out. Also, in contrast to earlier episodes, in episode 33, Marik asks Yami Bakura why he's so British, and Yami Bakura replies "I'm not British, I'm just gay." However, this can be interpreted that only Yami Bakura is assuredly queer. Other versions of the Yu-Gi-Oh anime The series has sometimes referenced spinoffs of the original series. Regular views into the future lead to scenes from Yu-Gi-Oh! GX. This is normally downplayed by characters, who are universally mortified by it, especially Kaiba (due to having a one-time cameo appearance only). Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's was referenced three times, highlighting the absurdity of playing card games on motorbikes when Tristan announced, "In the future, card games will be played on motorbikes". Yugi doesn't believe that that statement is true. It then shows a ad of Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's, with the caption You gotta be sh**ing me. Also in the 2008 Christmas Special Yugi receives 5D's trading cards as a present and his grandfather replies "Not just any trading cards, these are Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's trading cards, notice how they added motorbikes to make the game more interesting." In Episode 36 in a flashback, the Bully mentions that he's going to be a cop in the future, but Yugi questions of this statement's relevance to their current situation. In Episode 38, Yami begins the show by claiming the D in 5D's stands for "Don't watch it". There have also been other various abridged series being done that are posted on YouTube that take place after the original series. Yu-Gi-Oh! GX is being done by DarkSideIncorporated, Sephirex, funkymcfunk, and DuelistsGalore. Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's is being done by Wraith10, azurada23, funkymcfunk, and DuelingAlter72. And Yu-Gi-Oh! Season 0 is being done by DaJacksterN. Pop-Culture, "Obscure", and Self-References As the series progressed, it started becoming more dependent on Character-driven humor, as well as common references to movies, video games and other pop culture references, a common feature of comedies and parodies. A notable episode in this aspect is Episode 21, which uses the Virtual Game of Kaiba Corp. as a setting for various video game references, specifically The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Some of the movie quotes and references are often perceived by characters as being "obscure", possibly referencing how some are dated even to the time of their inclusion in the series. This happens in Episode 19 when Yugi saves himself and Shadi from the Dark Magician, and Episode 27, after Joey receives his Duel Disk. Finally, there are several lines that reference the Abridged Series itself and the various events around it. Episode 15 holds the first notable example, where Joey and Tristan comment how dull the duel between Kaiba and Pegasus was. Joey said it was worse than waiting for LittleKuriboh to update, to which Tristan suggested complaining. Other jokes reference the banning of the episodes on YouTube, the appearance of several impostor videos, production hiatus, and some of the forum activity. In Episode 27: "She Blinded Me With Card Games," Joey get's "Rick Roll'D," which is an internet gag where someone clicks on a link and the website takes control of the browser, making it difficult for the user to control the browser at all, while playing the Rick Astley music video, "Never gonna give you up." Joey's reaction is to declare he "hasn't been this mad since they made Heavy DDR a sub-mod", referring to a moderator on the forums on the official site of the series. In the series, "Jinzo" has the power to destroy any obscure internet references, which has become a rule for their various caption contests. Category:Favorite Abridged Series Category:Yu-Gi-Oh